Part of the Lost in the Climb series — a 4-part deep dive into how high-performing leaders lose themselves chasing success, and how to find the way back.

What happens when the rank, the role, or the reputation becomes who you are? In this episode, we explore how leadership identities form — and distort — in high-performance environments. We'll walk through the subtle shift from authentic purpose to persona performance, and why rediscovering your “why” might be the most powerful thing you can do as a leader.

Conversation Prompts:

• In what ways has your identity been shaped by your role or rank?
• Have you ever found yourself prioritizing your job over your values? What did that look like?
• Who are you outside the uniform — and how often do you let that version of you lead?